What makes a good English Teacher?
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English Teachers have an incredibly important job. Starting with teaching the vital life skills of reading and writing, English equips pupils with the vital tools they will need both in school throughout their lives. Sometimes it can be challenging to teach English, but ultimately it can also be very rewarding.
Whether you’re already an English teacher and looking to sharpen your skills or you’re looking to move into the subject: we’ve put together a list of qualities that every English teacher should aspire towards to be truly great at their subject.
Passion
It’s key that you show true passion and enthusiasm for the subject. If you don’t seem interested in what you’re teaching, pupils will have a hard time engaging with it. Thankfully, for most people, a love of English is the main driving force in wanting to teach it! If you do find yourself teaching an area that you’re less interested in, try to think of ways to make it engaging for yourself; doing this will ensure you deliver a lesson that will really energise the class. This brings us on to our next point...
Creativity
Thinking of new and exciting ways to bring lessons to kids is vital to keep both yourself and your pupils engaged. By offering dynamic and different lesson plans, a good English teacher offers memorable experiences that ensure that kids retain the core aims of the lesson. You’ll also find the process more rewarding as you won’t always be teaching in the same way.
Encouraging
Whilst your job as a teacher is to lead the lesson, some of the best lessons come from the students themselves. By encouraging to them to express their own ideas and discuss interpretations amongst themselves you can create a great atmosphere for learning and often find some unique perspectives on the material. On top of this, pupils are more likely to remember things they’ve actively discussed, making it a great tool for exam time.
Prepared
English can be a complex and nuanced subject and it can be easy to become side-tracked during a lesson. By preparing lessons in advance and being completely familiar with the aims of each lesson, you can ensure that you stay on topic in each lesson and that you hit all of your key points.
Understanding
Every child is different, and so too is every class. Sometimes what has worked before just won’t work for the next group of students. A good English teacher will be receptive to the different learning needs and styles of both individual students and whole classes and can tailor different lessons to suit these requirements.
Teaching English can be an incredibly rewarding experience as you take the lead in helping to develop the literary and understanding skills of young people. To find out more see our English Teaching Jobs.
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